


Do You Know What I Mean?

by LeedlingwithRageHappy



Series: Prompt Challenge 2016 [10]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: First Meetings, Light Angst, Loneliness, M/M, One Shot, joelay - Freeform, practice writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 13:12:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7106155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeedlingwithRageHappy/pseuds/LeedlingwithRageHappy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joel decides he's not going home alone tonight</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do You Know What I Mean?

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #34: A story about loneliness

Joel isn’t quite sure why he’s still hanging around the club. It’s now three in the morning and each blink is starting to feel heavy, but he honestly doesn’t feel like going home. 

Going home means being alone. 

Not that it’s so terrible. When he’s with people, his energy gets drained quickly and he finds solace in his apartment after long days. Once he’s recovered however, his place gets too lonely. He lives by himself after all, greeted by silence whenever he comes back from work. All Joel wants then is just that one interaction to distract him from his growing loneliness. If he gets it, then he’s okay but until that moment Joel can feel an inner torment start to grow, taking over every thought in his mind.

Which is how he ended up in this nightclub in the first place. Though it seems very unfitting of him, Joel only chose it because it’s owned by a friend and that means free drinks. Joel takes the final swig from his beer, looking out at the dance floor that’s still surprisingly packed. Of course, it’s a younger crowd, but everyone there seems to have vigor that didn’t quit. His eyes scan over the dancing bodies until he notices a solitary figure in the corner. It’s a young man with dark hair and features who honestly looks like he doesn’t want to be there at the moment. The man’s head turns to Joel and he looks away immediately, feeling a little embarrassed for making eye contact. 

For some reason, the image of the young man stays in Joel’s mind and he wants to look again, but worries that this action will get him in trouble. Deciding that a quick look won’t hurt, Joel turns his head slightly as if he’s just casually looking around again. To his luck, the young man has taken to staring at the ground, letting Joel make out his features as best as he can amidst the club lighting. 

Despite his youthful looks, the man looks, well, tired. Joel grimaces a little, wondering if he’s just projecting his own emotions onto the stranger, but he knows the feeling of being dragged out when he’s not mentally prepared too. 

Letting out a sigh, Joel looks away and fiddles with his bottle. Boredom is slowly sneaking into his mind since the bartender is off doing other things, leaving Joel to slowly turn back and forth on the bar stool. He hardly notices when the music quiets a little until he hears a, “Hey,” and he jumps slightly before turning to the voice.

It’s the young man from before and Joel is left speechless. Up close, this man appears much more rough around the edges though seems to have a surprisingly bright look in his eyes. 

“Hi?” Joel manages out and waits to see what happens.

“You look bored,” the man bluntly states, taking a seat next to Joel at the bar. “I’m Ray, by the way.”

The situation is a little odd, but Joel isn’t about to toss aside some attention right away. “Joel.” 

The young man nods and rests his head on his hand. “What’s a guy like you doing out so late?”

Joel is a little offended by this, pretty sure it’s a jab at his age and rolls his eyes. “Maybe I wanted to have fun or some shit. And what about you? You look like you’re having a great time.” Joel makes sure the sarcasm is heavily emphasized, only to be met by a raised eyebrow.

“Now I am,” Ray replies and then lets out a small laugh. “God, I feel like such a loser. You’re the most entertaining thing that’s happened all night.”

Naturally, Joel isn’t sure if this is an insult or compliment but lets it go, instead interested in Ray’s story. “So, why not just go home?”

Something passes in Ray’s eyes and Joel hopes he hasn’t hit a sore spot, especially when the other man hesitates before his reply.

“Nothing’s there for me.”

Joel feels his breath hitch, but says nothing. He’s in the same spot himself so it’s not like he could offer any sage advice.

“I don’t know, it’s weird, man,” Ray continues on. “I hate people, but at the same time...I want to feel someone exist next to me. It-it just doesn’t make sense.”

“It let’s you know you’re still real,” Joel says quietly and holds an empathetic look when Ray whips his head towards him. 

Silence passes between them before Ray looks away shyly, fiddling with the hem of his hoodie. Joel isn’t sure what to do and so, takes to watching Ray as the young man tries to think of something to respond with.

Seeing Ray reminds Joel all too much of his younger self and he remembers back to when he wished he just had someone to let him know that he wasn’t alone. So many lonely nights flooded into his mind where a simple touch would’ve made things feel okay. If even for a little while.

As the silence continues on, Joel knows in that moment that he doesn’t want to go home alone tonight and hesitantly offers his hand out to Ray.

“Want to get out of here?” He asks, holding his breath as Ray’s eyes begin to dart back and forth.

Ray glances out to the dance floor and then turns back to Joel with a more certain look. 

“Yeah,” Ray breathes out, taking Joel’s hand gently in his own. 

Feeling Ray’s hand in his own makes a surge of confidence grow in Joel and he slowly leads Ray out from the club into the cool night air.

Both men look as if they just surfaced from water and they take a moment to stare at each other before Joel walks in the general direction of his apartment with Ray in toll. It isn’t until Ray squeezes his hand that Joel starts to believe that for once in his life, things will be different and only wished he could’ve had this feeling sooner.


End file.
